FAQ
Important dates
April 30, 2023 – Deadline to apply for graduation in June. All final grades must be received by the Office of the Registrar, and all program requirements must be completed by this date.
May 31, 2023 – Deadline to register for Convocation 2023.
June 15 and 16, 2023 – Convocation ceremonies! Times for each degree will be announced in the new year.
June 17, 2023 – AU Homecoming! Graduating students will have the opportunity to round out their celebration with a visit to AU main and the Town of Athabasca.
Convocation 2023 will be a hybrid ceremony taking place June 15-17, 2023. We’re combining the best of both our virtual and in-person traditions to create a hybrid convocation that offers the option to you, our graduates, to choose how and where you celebrate.
The in-person celebration will be held in Edmonton, Alta. at the Edmonton Expo Centre and the virtual celebration will be held wherever you choose for it to be!
A hybrid convocation includes the option for eligible grads to attend in person or participate virtually from anywhere. We’re excited to try something new as we continue evolving our convocation celebrations. As an open university, offering a hybrid convocation allows us to be as accessible to as many graduates as possible.
Specific ceremony times have not yet been confirmed. Ceremony dates and times will be assigned based on faculty. Details will be posted on the convocation website and communicated to eligible grads via email as soon as they are available.
Remember to keep your contact information up to date in your myAU account to ensure you receive convocation communications.
All requirements for your credential must be received and processed by the Office of the Registrar by April 30, 2023. Please visit graduation procedures to learn more.
Questions regarding requirements for graduation and application status can be directed to the Office of the Registrar by emailing grad-app@athabascau.ca.
If you complete all your course requirements and submit your application to graduate prior to April 30, 2023, then you will be eligible to participate in Convocation 2023. If you finish your program after this date, then you will be invited to participate in Convocation 2024.
You can find more information regarding the graduation process and convocation here.
celebration to acknowledge your incredible achievement!
Invitations to convocation are sent via email in the spring to all who have met their program requirements in the months of July 2022 through April 2023 (inclusive).
Remember to keep your contact information up to date in your myAU account to make sure to receive convocation communications.
Registration will open May 1, 2023. Emails will be sent to all eligible graduands and links to register will be added to the convocation website.
Registration closes on May 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (Mountain).
Yes!
You need to register whether you plan to attend in-person or virtually. Details on how to register will be sent to eligible graduates in the spring. Remember to keep your contact information up to date in your myAU account to ensure you receive convocation communications.
Applying for graduation does not automatically register you for convocation. When registration for convocation opens, and you have successfully completed and submitted your registration form online, you will receive an email confirming your registration and responses. Remember to check your junk mail folder! You can also email the convocation team at convocation@athabascau.ca.
During the ceremony, you will hear speeches from our President, Board Chair, Honorary Doctors, Order of AU recipients, and the Governor General Medal winners. Each graduate will also get a moment of celebration as their name and degree are read. Graduates in-person will walk across the stage, and graduates attending virtually will be shown on-screen via Microsoft Teams. More details will be shared closer to the celebration.
Yes! It wouldn’t be a celebration without them.
If you register to attend in-person, you will be asked to report the number of guests you
intend to bring. There is no limit on the number of guests you can bring.
The ceremony will be livestreamed on the convocation website for any virtual guests you
may wish to invite—whether you’re attending in-person on virtually. Families do not
need to register to watch the livestream.
Whether you choose to participate in convocation or not, all eligible graduands that have applied to graduate will receive a grad box. Your grad box will be mailed to the address listed on your MyAU account, so please ensure your address is up to date.
We curate the contents of the grad box every year. This means our grad boxes won’t be ready until May as we wait for all the fun contents to arrive at AU.
For those grads who choose to attend convocation in-person, a photographer will be
available on site to take grad photos.
If you are in the Edmonton, Alta. area, we have teamed up with New Light Photography
for graduation photos. New Light will have the appropriate Athabasca University regalia
available to use for photos. Please visit their website.
Most photography studios in your area that offer graduation portraits will have a
standard black graduation gown and cap available for use.
Once your application to graduate is approved, the Office of the Registrar mails your parchment on, or shortly after, the graduation date provided in your confirmation letter.
Your name, as it is recorded on your student academic record, will be displayed on your parchment. If you have recently changed your name or would like to make changes to the name on your student file, you must contact the Office of the Registrar by completing and submitting the student change of information form and emailing Academic Records at acrec@athabascau.ca.
Parchment frames, rings, clothing, gifts, and other AU merchandise can all be found at the AU Store.
We’d be happy to help! Please reach out to our team at convocation@athabascau.ca.
Helpful links and resources:
Updated December 07, 2022 by Digital & Web Operations, University Relations (web_services@athabascau.ca)